Mr Anil Gyawali, CEO of Nabil Bank, hands over a cheque to Dr David Molden, Director General of ICIMOD, to support the ICIMOD Knowledge Park at Godavari

Photo: Jitendra Bajracharya/ICIMOD

With the handover of a cheque for NPR 1,350,000 (USD 15,000) from Mr Anil Gyawali, CEO of Nabil Bank, to Dr David Molden, Director General of ICIMOD on 18 July Nabil Bank is now a Gold Partner to the ICIMOD Knowledge Park at Godavari. The Knowledge Park attracts over 5,000 visitors a year through activities carried out in the areas of renewable energy; water, vegetation, and soil management; livestock and aquaculture; alternative approaches to income generation; biodiversity conservation; training; and community outreach.

“The private sector is an important development partner for improving the lives of people living in the mountains and, as users of mountain resources, the private sector has a critical role to play in ensuring the long-term green economic growth of the region and in protecting its invaluable resources and biodiversity”, Dr Molden said.

It is hoped that the partnership will encourage other private sector companies to also participate by supporting, engaging, learning and sharing of knowledge on the valuable resources, ecosystem services, and mountain livelihoods that are under threat as a result of climate and socioeconomic changes.

"Nabil Bank has been focused on promoting the public interest by supporting environmental awareness and conservation, poverty alleviation, and economic development as crucial components of its corporate social responsibility. We are also involved in projects focused on health, science and technology, education and sports, and literature, culture and art”, said Mr Gyawali. “We are hopeful that the partnership between Nabil Bank and ICIMOD will have a positive social and environmental impact."

Farmers are briefed about green technologies at the ICIMOD Knowledge Park at Godavari